Cal State Fullerton Celebrates Access and Educational Equity
Educational Opportunity Program Gala to Recognize Alumni, Supporters
Cruz Reynoso, the first Chicano to serve on the California Supreme Court, is keynote speaker for the April 29 Educational Opportunity Program Hall of Fame Scholarship Gala at Cal State Fullerton.
"Access and Educational Equity Is a Right!" is the theme of the program, part of the university's 50th anniversary celebration. The 5:30 p.m. event , which is open to the public, will be held in the Titan Student Union.
Reynoso was born in Brea to Mexican farm workers and grew up in a family of 11 children. As a youth, he worked in fruit orchards and later graduated from Pomona College and then earned a law degree from UC Berkeley. Reynoso is recognized for his leadership in civil rights, immigration and refugee policy, government reform, the administration of justice, legal services for the indigent and education.
"The goal is to educate the campus community and public about the program, established more than 39 years ago to increase the access and academic success of California's first generation, educationally and economically disadvantaged college students," said Janette L. Hyder, an EOP counselor who proposed establishing the EOP Hall of Fame.
The gala will feature a reception and dinner prior to induction of the university's inaugural EOP Hall of Fame recipient. Three individuals will receive special awards, and scholarships will be awarded to three current EOP students.
Cal State Fullerton alumnus Lawrence R. Labrado (B.A. ethnic studies '73), will be the first honoree inducted into the EOP Hall of Fame. Labrado, who once picked fruit as a migrant farm worker, now owns a tax preparation business and serves as an elected trustee on the Rancho Santiago Community College District Board. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1960-64 and later became Cal State Fullerton's Educational Opportunity Program coordinator. The Orange resident held several other positions during his 27-year tenure at the university and retired in 2000.
Other award recipients are: Educator of the Year - Jack Bedell, CSUF professor of sociology and chair of anthropology, of Fullerton; EOP Alumni of the Year - Therese Mosqueda-Ponce (B.S. human services '77) co-coordinator of Cypress College's Puente university preparation program, of Anaheim; and Friends of EOP - Son Kim Vo, retired coordinator of Cal State Fullerton's Intercultural Development Center, of Anaheim.
Scholarship winners are Anaheim resident Adriana Cortes, a political science major with a minor in philosophy; Alhambra resident Elizabeth Kuo, a child and adolescent studies major; and, Hacienda Heights resident Daniel Vidrio, a graduate student majoring in history. Each will receive a $500 EOP scholarship.
Tickets to the gala are $75 each. Sponsorships and items for a silent auction are being sought. Funds raised will go toward a scholarship fund for first-generation, historically underrepresented college students.
"EOP students, most of whom have limited financial resources, continue to face increased costs to attend a university and earn a college degree. While EOP provides services and support, there is a great need for additional financial contributions to keep the program alive," said Hyder, who is an EOP alumna at Cal State Fullerton and first-generation college student.
Currently, about 2,000 students participate in the university's EOP program, including more than 500 freshman and community college transfer students, Hyder noted.
Hyder said that the civil rights movement of the 1960s inspired many college students to play an active role in effecting changes within a system that created economic and social barriers. Poverty, discrimination and other socioeconomic barriers began to be linked to the lack of higher education opportunities for underrepresented and socially disadvantaged students. In April 1969, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill 1072 (the Harmer Bill), which established EOP at the state's institutions of higher learning.
"The EOP Hall of Fame Gala Scholarship Dinner will begin to establish a stronger foundation with the community at large and educate individuals about the value of the contributions people of color make not only in higher education but in society at large," said Hyder, who also coordinates the Links Mentoring Program. The peer-mentoring program offers career development, scholarships, education workshops and field trips for undergraduate students.
For tickets and information, call Janette L. Hyder at 657-278-3920 or jhyder@fullerton.edu.
Media Contacts:
Janette L. Hyder, EOP, 657-278-3920 or jhyder@fullerton.edu
Debra Cano Ramos, Public Affairs, 657-278-4027 or dcanoramos@fullerton.edu
Iris Preciado, Public Affairs, 657-278-4343 or ipreciado@fullerton.edu>
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